1000- 1100 CE
From Fatimid Cairo to the Crusader Conquest
Under Fatimid rule, Cairo Geniza documents illuminate Jewish life, Rise of the Crusader Era and siege and rule of Jerusalem
With the new Caliph, Al-Hakim, ruling from 996-1021 CE, conditions for the Jews in the Land deteriorated.
Al-Hakim ordered forced conversions and for synagogues to be burned, causing the Jerusalem Yeshiva to be reestablished in Ramla. Although his decrees were eventually revoked, the Jews suffered a heavy blow under his rule.
Entry to Jerusalem was revived by the “Mourners of Zion”, a movement that mourned the Temple's destruction and promoted Aliyah, reaching its peak during the 11th century.
The century saw a large influx of Jewish immigrants from Iraq, and Jewish communities along the coast in Rafah, Gaza, Ashkelon, Jaffa, and Caesarea flourished.
The end of the century saw the rise of the Christian Crusades, leaving the brutal persecution of Jews in its wake.
